Easter Chocolate Hunt

Spring is here and Easter is right around the corner and we all know what that means-- fabulous Easter chocolates and delights. From Cadbury eggs to marshmallow peeps, to the granddaddy of them all, the chocolate Easter bunny, I’ve got you covered. Here are my picks for the top Easter treats…

Milk Chocolate

Lindt is prided for creamy chocolates and this spring it’s bringing fabulous milk chocolate goodies including the delicious Lindt Gold Bunny. This solid milk chocolate bunny has the perfect consistency and just melts in your mouth.
Lindt Gold Bunny, $4.50-$25

Dark Chocolate
The chocolatiers of Hotel Chocolat are committed to producing the finest quality chocolates and their dark chocolate confections for Easter are superb. This original creation is called the Serious Dark Fix Egg from the Extra Thick Easter Egg line. It’s a 74% dark chocolate egg that opens up revealing 14 luscious dark chocolate delights.
The Serious Dark Fix Egg, $45 (11.64 oz.)


White Chocolate
For fresh and natural treats, chocolate lovers flock to Lake Champlain Chocolates. This Vermont company utilizes all natural ingredients for their indulgent creations. If you want tempting chocolaty confections for your Easter shindig try Lake Champlain’s tantalizing solid gourmet white chocolate bunnies.
Chocolate Easter Bunny, $10.50 (4 oz.)


Filled
Delicious chocolates are always a pleasure to bite into but what’s even better is when there’s a surprise filling. Fannie May produces fantastic chocolates and this spring add their dark and milk chocolate covered marshmallow eggs to your list of must haves. The smooth dark chocolate and fluffy marshmallow are a delight to sink your teeth into.
Marshmallow Eggs, $11.49 (8oz.)

Organic
Sweet Earth makes the freshest chocolates around. They use the purest organic ingredients and recommend that you devour their succulent confections within a week of purchasing them otherwise their rich flavors start to diminish thereafter. This Easter, Sweet Earth is offering a box of 15 of their most enticing truffles.
Easter Truffle Box, $24

Vegan
For chocolate geared to those who are lactose intolerant or for those who prefer animal-free products there are plenty of chocolatiers who cater to those needs. Allison’s Gourmet is among my favorite vegan chocolate vendors, 100% of the ingredients in their fine chocolates are certified organic and dairy-free. Jazz up your Easter holiday with a bag of fabulous vegan chocolate eggs filled with delectable centers ranging from espresso caramel to raspberry ganache.
Truffle and Caramel Filled Eggs, $13.95 (5 large eggs)

Nut-Free
Lots of kiddies are allergic to peanuts and other tree-nuts which is why Divvies is the place to go get goodies for the little ones without worrying about aggravating any allergies. This spring Divvies is offering a sweet, solid chocolate bunny made with nut, dairy and egg-free chocolate.
Chocolate Bunny Rabbit, $8.50 (4 oz.)



Sugar-Free
Not everyone can indulge in sugary sweets that’s why Russell Stover is the chocolate company to go to for sugar-free treats. Fill those Easter eggs with these delightful and fruity sugar-free jelly beans.
Sugar-Free Jelly Beans, $3.79 (7 oz.)




Expensive
The king of luxury fine chocolates is without a doubt Neuhaus Createur Chocolatier. This Belgian company produces exquisite confections worth every dollar spent. If you are willing to splurge on truly luscious Easter delights look no further. This spring Neuhaus has put together fabulous Easter baskets filled with spectacular creations including delicious marzipan cubes, creamy piped gianduja confections, pralines and chocolate eggs with delectable fillings (my personal favorites).
Easter Gift Baskets, $87-$273

Inexpensive
Nothing signifies Easter more than the Cadbury egg. For decades, Hershey’s has been known for a variety of novelty chocolates that have been a part of all of our childhoods. This Easter, spring for a festive gift basket stocked with the best Hershey’s creations including scrumptious Reese’s peanut butter cups, chocolaty Hershey’s kisses, chocolate eggs all in colorful pastels and solid chocolate Easter bunnies (which you can personalize).
Easter Gift Baskets, $14.95-$62.95


Bunnies
No Easter celebration is complete without a delectable chocolate bunny to bite into. It would be easy to recommend any old solid chocolate bunny however I like to spice things up, literally. Vosges Haut-Chocolat is bringing out the spices this season and creating the zestiest bunnies. With ingredients like chipotle chili peppers, Ceylon cinnamon, lemon zest, pink peppercorn and grey sea salt your taste buds are in for a treat.
Easter Bunnies, $12 each (2.5 oz.)

Peeps
Spring has arrived once colorful marshmallow peeps start appearing. This season pick up peeps that aren’t so traditional. Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company is putting a new spin on this classic by covering them in, you guessed it, chocolate! The marshmallow sweeties are saturated in velvety milk chocolate and are ready to be gobbled up.
Chocolate Covered Peeps, $11.95 (8 peeps)


Eggs
What would an Easter egg hunt be without the eggs? Scoop up some delicious milk chocolate eggs from Ghiradelli for your festivities. The brightly colored foils contain mouthwatering chocolaty delights guaranteed to satisfy your chocolate craving.

If you are willing to splurge a bit, I highly recommend Neuhaus’s seasonal eggs infused with decadent fillings including nutty praline, creamy gianduja, salted caramel and white chocolate. These morsels are truly eggs-quisite.
Ghiradelli Chocolate Eggs, $15 (20.75 oz.)
Neuhaus Easter Eggs, $58 (40 eggs)


Cookies
Take a break from all of the chocolate by biting into a soft and chewy cookie. Harvard’s Sweet Boutique is a personal favorite of mine because they use the freshest ingredients in their freshly baked goods. Munch on these scrumptious cookies glazed with sumptuous white chocolate and hand decorated to look like Easter eggs. These whimsical creations would be a tasty addition to an Easter party.
Easter Egg Shortbread Cookies, $30 (16 cookies)